Swimming pool racing line take-up float assembly

ABSTRACT

The assembly for connection to a swimming pool racing line comprises a floating casing with an inner chamber containing a piston and rod arrangement. In response to the introduction of a fluid within this internal chamber the piston moves to an activated position causing the slidable rod, having one end connected to the swimming pool racing line, to produce tension in the racing line between the respective ends of the swimming pool. The fluid supply enters and exits the inner chamber by simplified valving means adapted for use with a typical garden hose.

, IJite States Patent 1191 Baker et al. Nov. 5, 1974 [54] SWIMMING POOLRACING LINE TAKE-UP 3.116.925 I/l964 Welch 9/8 FLOAT ASSEMBLY 3,304,5602/1967 Kiefer 1.

3,540,063 ll/l970 Stanwood 4/172 [75] Inventors: William 0. Baker,Corona Del Mar;

Charles J Laguna Nlguel Primary Examinr-l-Ienry K. Artis both of Cahf'Attorney, Agent, or Firml(nobbe, Martens, Olson, [73] Assignee: BakerHydro Inc., Irvine, Calif. Hubbard & Bear I22] Filed: Dec. 21, 1973 [57]ABSTRACT PP N011 427,090 The assembly for connection to a swimming poolracing line comprises a floating casing with an inner 52 us. c1. 4/172Chamber Containing a and rod arrangement 51] int.Ci........................IE04ii3 i8ffi6ih 3/18 response to theintroduction a fluid Within this [58] Field 111 Search 4/172 172.11172.15 emal Chamber the Piston moves to an activated Posi- 9/8 tioncausing the slidable rod, having one end con- References Cited nected tothe swimming pool racing line, to produce tension in the racing linebetween the respective ends UNITED STATES PATENTS of the swimming pool.The fluid supply enters and 2,117,982 5/1938 Pr1nce,Jr 4/l72.15 exitsthe inner Chamber by simplified valving means 3:225}; adapted for usewith a typical garden hose. 3:074:083 Schirmer::.......:::: 9/8 11Claims, 3 Drawing Figures SWIMMING POOL RACING LINE TAKE-UP FLOATASSEMBLY BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the fieldof swimming pool equipment and more particularly to floating racinglines utilized to divide the surface of the swimming pool into separateracing lanes for competition swimming. In order to divide the swimmingpool into proper identifiable racing lanes, the racing line must betight between the respective ends of thepool to prevent any weaving orfloating drift of the racing line. Otherwise, the line could interruptor obstruct the swimmer as he proceeds down the lane.

Swimming pools that are used for competition swimming events as inschools and athletic clubs have fixed rings attached to the ends'of theswimming pool to provide a connection for the racing line to bestretched be tween the opposite ends of the pool. In order to easilyconnect the racing line to each end of the pool, it is necessary thatthe line be slightly longer than the distance between the tworings atthe ends of the pool. The remaining slack in the line requirestightening in order to prevent any drift of the racing line. Previousdevices have utilized turnbuckle type mechanisms which are quite awkwardfor a coach or manager who is located on the deck of the pool tooperate, since he has to turn and twist the line in order to tighten-it.Also, some problems are caused by having to twist the line which maydamage the line. This same procedure of turning the turnbuckle must befollowed in order to again loosen the racing line in order to allow easyremoval of the line from the swimming pool. The time spent withinstalling and removing racing lines in the swimming pool by utilizingthe turnbuckle type arrangement is time whichcan be better spent by thecoach or manager in attending to the activities within the swimming poolor with the members of the swimming team.

Other devices have used a hand winch type of arrangement which isawkward and difficult to adjust to the correct tightness, since thelockingdevice is limited. These'winch arrangements are especiallydifficult for one who is on the deck of the swimming pool to operate.

Also, the mechanism utilized in these prior devices for eliminating theslack in the racing line use a connection with the racing line whichresults in the existence of protrusions which could cause injury to theswimmer if his arm or leg should happen to contact the racing line atthat point.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention utilizes a simple casing whichfloats on the water and contains a slid'able pistonand piston rod withone end extending through the casing and connected to the racing line.The other end of the casing is connected to the racing line, and a valveis placed in the wall of the casing to permit the introduction of afluid such as water from atypical garden hose to place hydraulicpressure on the piston within the casing. This pressure will move thepiston to an activating position and cause the rod to pull the racingline in a tight position. The swimming pool racing line take-up deviceis very simple in construction and presents a mechanism which is easy tooperate. The actuating time is essentially instantaneous, approximatelytwo seconds, which is quite important as a time saver when consideringall the other preparations necessary to operate a swim ming race. Theswimming-coach, having a garden hose available for washing down the deckof the swimming pool, can use the garden hose to operate this inventionby simply holding it against the valving member located on the casingand allowing. the water to fill the casing enough to provide therequisite tension in the racing line. The garden hose is simply held byhand against the valve member of the casing rather than screwing orrigidly fixing it to the valve member, so that, if the pressurewouldbecome too great within the casing, the swimming coach could notmaintain or hold the hose against the valve because of the increasedpressure.v If the hose were rigidly connected to the casing, thepressure may become too great and cause the racing line to be tightenedto an extent that the fixtures could be pulled from their mountings onthe side of the swimming pool. This arrangement of just allowing thehose to be handheld'against the valve on the casing eliminates the needfor any type of pressure regulator in order to prevent possible damageto the racing line fixtures.

The racing line take-up device has an additional feature which aids inthe prevention of exerting too great a stress on the swimming pool wallfixtures. Since the piston is sealed against the interior surface of thecasing, pushing the piston rod a short distance into the easing beforeapplying the hose will cause a small amount of air to enter the casingthrough the valve. The air will act as a cushion or shock absorber toincreased pressure on the swimming pool wall mountings if swimmers sitor stand on the tightened line because the air is compressible whilewater is not.

The connectors on each end of the casing for attachment to the racingline utilize collet devices which provide a means to insert the endof-the racing line thereby covering all exposed ends of the line andeliminating any possible projections which may injure the swimmer.

Another unique feature to this device is that the operator does not needany specific tools to release the fluid within the casing, since atypical pencil or pen can be inserted into the valve mechanism torelease the ball check and allow the pressurized water to exit from thecasing resulting in a slackening of the racing line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of thehydraulic swimming pool racing line take-up device connected within theracing line which is extended betweenthe two ends of the swimming pool;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the racing line take-up device; and

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the racing line take-upshowing the valving mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to FIG. 1 theracing line take-up assembly 10 is shown connected to a racing line 12extended between the two ends 14 and 16 of a typical swimming pool. Alsoplaced along the racing line 12 are a series of float members 18 tomaintain the racing line on the surface of the water. The racing linetake-up assembly 10 is positioned within the racing line 12 adjacent oneend 16 of the swimming pool for proximity to the deck area 20 to provideeasy access for operation by a swimming pool manager or a swimmingcoach. The racing line take-up device 10 could also be placed adjacentthe other end 14 of the swimming pool.

The racing line take-up devicel is shown in more detail in FIG. 2 and iscomprised of a casing or container 22 having an inner chamber or cavity24. Located within the chamber 24 is a slidable activating rod or shaft26 which extends through one end 28 of the casing 22. The shaft 26 issealed within the one end 28 of the casing 22 by O-rings 25. One end 30of the shaft 26 is connected to the racing line 12 while the other end32 of the shaft 26 is attached to a piston 34, having a sealing ring 35.The other end 36 of the casing 22 is also connected to the racing line12. Within the cavity 24 adjacent one end 28 of the casing 22 is a stopmember 29 to limit the travel of the piston 34 in that direction.Similarly located within the cavity 24 adjacent the other end 36 of thecasing 22 is a stop surface 37 to limit the travel of the piston 34 inthat direction. Vent holes 39 are positioned within the other end 36 ofthe casing 22 in order to relieve any pressure behind the piston 34 toallow it to activate as explained later.

Located within the casing 22 is a valving mechanism 38 comprised of avalve body 40 and a ball check 42 which is biased against the flowchannel 44 by a spring 46. The flow channel 44 has a neck portion 48which is surrounded by an interface member or tapered grommet 50 on theoutside surface of the casing 22. Surrounding the casing 22 is a floatsection 52 to maintain the racing line take-up device buoyant on thewater.

The racing line 12 is attached to the racing line takeup assembly device10 by connectors 54 and 56. These connectors are identical inconstruction and are comprised of a collet 58 with gripping members 60which separate apart or close together depending upon the rotation ofthe collet on the threaded member 62. This provides easy connection ofthe end 64 of the racing line 12 to the casing 22. Located on one end 30of the shaft 26 are flat areas 63 to accommodate a wrench to preventrotation of the device while tightening the connector 54. Flat areas mayalso be incorported on the threaded member 62 by using a longer threadedmember to allow sufficient space between the connector 56 and the otherend 36 of the casing 22. These latter flat areas will receive a wrenchto prevent rotation of the device while tightening the connector 56.

Turning to the operation of the racing line take-up assembly 10,reference is made to FIG. 1 where the device 10 is connected within theracing line 12 to provide flexibility in the adjustment of the length ofthe racing line. The respective ends of the racing line 12 are attachedto the hook assemblies 66 which are embedded in the end walls 14 and 16of the swimming pool. The racing line 12 is slightly longer than thedistance between the respective hook assemblies 66 on end walls 14 and16. After attachment of the racing line 12 to the hook assemblies 66,there is some slack in the racing line 12 which will cause it to driftunevenly on the surface of the water. In order to tighten the line 12 todefine specific racing lanes, the racing line take-up assembly 10 isutilized to tighten the line sufficiently to remain in a straightperpendicular orientation to the respective end walls 14 and 16.

The operation of the take-up assembly 10 is shown in more detail in FIG.2. After the racing line is first attached to the hook assemblies 66,the piston 34 is in the release position, position A shown in phantom,allowing the activating shaft 26 to extend as far as possible outthrough the end 28 of casing 22 to provide the necessary slack for easyinstallation of the racing line. When it is desired to tighten theracing line 12, as a first step the piston 34 may be moved away from thestop member 29 slightly to cause some air to be sucked into the cavity24 to provide a shock absorbing feature which will be explained below.Then a typical or standard garden type hose 68 which is used to washdown the deck of the swimming pool is placed over the tapered grommet 50and held there by hand. Since the diameter of the smaller end 70 of thegrommet 50 is less than the opening of a typical garden hose coupling 71and since the diameter of the larger end 72 of the grommet 50 is greaterthan the opening of a typical garden hose coupling 71, the garden hosecoupling 71 will rest on the grommet 50 between the respective ends 70and 72.

Water is induced through the flow channel 44 and forces the ball check42 downward against the spring 46 to allow water to enter the innercavity or chamber 24. However, in order for the water to reach thechamber 24 it impinges the contact surface 74 of the piston 34 andforces it in the direction to the left toward the activated positions Band C. The movement of the piston from position A toward position Bcauses the slidable shaft 26 to also move a corresponding distance whichwill pull or activate the racing line 12, making it tight and straight.The maximum distance which the piston 34 and the shaft 26 can move ismeasured by the throw 76 with position C being the extreme position.

Since the take-up float assembly is designed to be utilized in differentsized swimming pools the necessary movement of the piston 34 to the leftin FIG. 2 will depend upon how much slack is in racing line 12. Becauseof the varying water pressure available in different locations therewould be concern that, if the water forces the piston too far to theleft for a particular size swimming pool, the racing line 12 may becomeso tight that it will tend to pull the hook assembly 66 out of itsmounting in the end walls of the pool. Therefore, the ability to simplyhold the garden hose over the grommet 50 by hand provides a means where,if the pressure within the chamber 24 becomes too great it will be verydifficult or impossible for the user to hold the hose over the grommet50, eliminating a chance of the racing line 12 becoming too tight forthe hook assembly 66. Additionally, the introduction of the small amountof air into the cavity 24 prior to the flow of water from the hose 68provides a shock absorbing feature, since the air will compress wherewater will not. Therefore, this small amount of air will help absorb theshock and prevent too great a pull being exerted on the hook assembly 66if a swimmer sits or stands on the line.

When the swimming coach or swimming pool manager desires to loosen theracing line 12 in order to remove it from the swimming pool, there is noneed for any special tool, because a typical writing pencil or pen 78,shown in FIG. 3, which is usually conveniently found, can be inserteddown through the flow channel 44, which is large enough for such anitem. This forces the ball check 42 down far enough to permit thepressurized water to escape through the channel 44, allowing the piston34 to move to the right with respect to FIG. 2, causing a slack to theline 12 in order for it to reach the release position.

What is claimed is: l. A swimming pool racing line take-up devicecomprising:

a hollow casing; a movable member mounted within said casing, one end ofsaid member extending through one end of said casing, said one end ofsaid member connected to said racing line; the other end of said casingbeing connected to a side of said swimming pool;

means located on said casing for allowing fluid communication betweenthe interior of said hollow casing and an outside fluid supply; and

means attached to said movable member and responsive to said fluidcommunication for moving said movable member and induce strain in saidracing line.

2. A swimming pool racing line take-up device as defined in claim 1wherein said movable member comprises a slidable rod and wherein saidmeans for moving said rod comprises a piston having a contact surfaceresponsive to the movement of said fluid within said casmg.

3. A swimming pool racing line take-up device as defined in claim 1wherein said means for allowing fluid communication between the interiorof said hollow casing and an outside fluid supply comprises:

a valve body, defining a flow channel;

a check valve adjacent said flow channel; and

an interface member surrounding the exterior portion of said valve body.

4. A swimming pool racing line take-up device as defined in claim 3wherein said interface member is a tapered grommet adapted to mate withthe end of a typical garden hose.

5. A swimming pool racing line take-up device as defined in claim 4wherein said tapered grommet has one end smaller than a coupling on saidgarden hose and the other end larger than the coupling on said gardenhose, so that said mating of said garden hose occurs be tween said endsof said grommet.

6. A swimming pool racing line take-up device as defined in claim 3wherein said check valve comprises a ball check biased against said flowchannel by a spring.

7. A swimming pool racing ling take-up deivce as defined in claim 3wherein said flow channel is of sufficient size to receive a typicalwriting instrument to release the check valve to allow the fluid toescape.

8. A swimming pool racing line take-up device as de fined in claim 1wherein said one end of said movable member comprises a collet mechanismfor receipt of an end of said racing line.

9. A swimming pool racing line take-up device as defined in claim 1wherein the other end of said casing has a collet mechanism for receiptof an end of said racing line.

10. A swimming pool racing line take-up device as defined in claim 1wherein said means for moving said movable member comprises a pistonwhich moves said racing line to an activated position, tightening saidracing line, when said fluid enters said casing, and moves said racingline to a release position when said fluid exits said casing, looseningsaid racing line.

11. A swimming pool racing line take-up device comprising:

a casing having an interior cavity;

means mounted on said casing for allowing the flow of a liquid into saidcavity;

a slidable shaft having one end extending through one end of saidcasing, said one end of said slidable shaft connected to said racingline; and

a piston member mounted on the other end of said shaft, said pistonmember slidable within said cavity and responsive to said flow of saidliquid, contact between said piston member and said cavity being airtight, movement of said piston member away from said one end of saidcasing causing air to be introduced into said cavity, said air beingcompressed by said flow of said liquid resulting in said air acting asmeans for absorbing a shock caused by a strain induced on said racingline.

1. A swimming pool racing line take-up device comprising: a hollowcasing; a movable member mounted within said casing, one end of saidmember extending through one end of said casing, said one end of saidmember connected to said racing line; the other end of said casing beingconnected to a side of said swimming pool; means located on said casingfor allowing fluid communication between the interior of said hollowcasing and an outside fluid supply; and means attached to said movablemember and responsive to said fluid communication for moving saidmovable member and induce strain in said racing line.
 2. A swimming poolracing line take-up device as defined in claim 1 wherein said movablemember comprises a slidable rod and wherein said means for moving saidrod comprises a piston having a contact surface responsive to themovement of said fluid within said casing.
 3. A swimming pool racingline take-up device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means forallowing fluid communication between the interior of said hollow casingand an outSide fluid supply comprises: a valve body, defining a flowchannel; a check valve adjacent said flow channel; and an interfacemember surrounding the exterior portion of said valve body.
 4. Aswimming pool racing line take-up device as defined in claim 3 whereinsaid interface member is a tapered grommet adapted to mate with the endof a typical garden hose.
 5. A swimming pool racing line take-up deviceas defined in claim 4 wherein said tapered grommet has one end smallerthan a coupling on said garden hose and the other end larger than thecoupling on said garden hose, so that said mating of said garden hoseoccurs between said ends of said grommet.
 6. A swimming pool racing linetake-up device as defined in claim 3 wherein said check valve comprisesa ball check biased against said flow channel by a spring.
 7. A swimmingpool racing ling take-up deivce as defined in claim 3 wherein said flowchannel is of sufficient size to receive a typical writing instrument torelease the check valve to allow the fluid to escape.
 8. A swimming poolracing line take-up device as defined in claim 1 wherein said one end ofsaid movable member comprises a collet mechanism for receipt of an endof said racing line.
 9. A swimming pool racing line take-up device asdefined in claim 1 wherein the other end of said casing has a colletmechanism for receipt of an end of said racing line.
 10. A swimming poolracing line take-up device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means formoving said movable member comprises a piston which moves said racingline to an activated position, tightening said racing line, when saidfluid enters said casing, and moves said racing line to a releaseposition when said fluid exits said casing, loosening said racing line.11. A swimming pool racing line take-up device comprising: a casinghaving an interior cavity; means mounted on said casing for allowing theflow of a liquid into said cavity; a slidable shaft having one endextending through one end of said casing, said one end of said slidableshaft connected to said racing line; and a piston member mounted on theother end of said shaft, said piston member slidable within said cavityand responsive to said flow of said liquid, contact between said pistonmember and said cavity being air tight, movement of said piston memberaway from said one end of said casing causing air to be introduced intosaid cavity, said air being compressed by said flow of said liquidresulting in said air acting as means for absorbing a shock caused by astrain induced on said racing line.